My Own Kind of Paradise
by wanderingcitrus
Summary: Modern Au for the Ice Mechanic June Challenge, theme was beach. Everyone's staying at Clarke's family beach house for spring break, but what's in store when Clarke invites someone new?


**A/N: thank you to the guest reviewer that let me know the text was off. Hopefully it's corrected!**

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Spring break as graduate students was delightfully more exciting because they could legally drink, and that would certainly make for an interesting week. Raven looked to her right, where Clarke sat in the passenger seat sending a series of text messages to either her mom or one of their friends, who'd already arrived at the Griffin family's beach house. The girls had been the last ones with midterms and left campus three hours after the rest of their group.

"I'm just looking forward to sitting under an umbrella and a pitcher of margaritas for the next week," Raven said as she turned the jeep into the driveway, weary from the long drive and her body was just a little sore.

They exited the vehicle after parking behind Bellamy's truck and Harper's Volkswagen Beetle. The interior of the house was empty, and there were several bags just strewn about in the living room, the sliding door to the patio partially open, laughter and the sound of gulls and the ocean welcome and inviting.

"Well, the good news is everyone's already set up, all we need to do is change," Clarke said as both girls rummaged through their weekender bags to pull out their swimsuits. "Meet you outside?"

Raven nodded her head in agreement as she limped her way to the downstairs bathroom to change into her bikini. She loved the colour of her swimsuit, not caring that it revealed the scar on her hip, having built up more body confidence in the last eight months. Walking out to the patio, she caught a glimpse of all her friends, so what if she was the odd one out seeing as everyone was blissfully coupled up, but that didn't mean she resented any of their happiness.

The house was situated on a stretch of the beach that was fenced for private use, both a blessing and a curse, they'd not have to deal with any drama or unwanted attention, but she also had very slim pickings when it came to eye candy. She waved in greeting at her friends as she approached where they had laid out umbrellas, towels, ice chests, and cell phones, and carefully lowered herself onto her own towel to lay out beside Jasper and his girlfriend, Maya.

Not at all surprising, the group had teamed up around the volleyball net to pass the time. Lincoln, Bellamy, Monty, and Harper on one side versus Octavia, Clarke, Miller, and Murphy on the other. She couldn't resist laughing as Octavia attempted to spike the ball into the faces of both her boyfriend and her brother, only to fail spectacularly due to Lincoln's height advantage. "So who's winning?" she asked, as she unbuckled her brace, since no amount of her sunscreen would prevent the wacky tan lines.

"Well, we were winning before Clarke and I switched out, because you know how competitive she and Bellamy are," Jasper responded, rolling over to his side to press a kiss to Maya's temple.

"Because none of our friends are competitive enough in their own right? Didn't Harper grab Murphy's shorts in attempt to keep him from blocking at the net? We all saw way more of him than we ever needed." Maya said, causing Raven to laugh even more.

"Well, good job I arrived a little late, huh?" Raven asked as settled herself into a comfortable position, prepared to soak up a healthy amount of vitamin D until the heat drove her to move into the water.

Raven plugged in her earbuds and hit shuffle on her music, lost in thought until she felt the need to roll over to even out her tan. She raised herself into a sitting position, moving her stuff to the front of her towel, and carefully swung her legs around behind to let her relax and lay on her front. There were a few twinges of pain in her hip and her knee, but once she'd pillowed her head upon her arms, gaze going from watching her friends to watching the waves crash upon the shore.

The game had finally ended when Lincoln ended up carrying Octavia into the ocean and tossing her into the water. Miller and Monty walked hand in hand further down the beach, Harper chased after Murphy arms reaching dangerously close to his shorts before jumping into his arms once they were well into the water, and both Bellamy and Clarke stood at the edge of the water, wrapped in each other, when a new voice called out, "Clarke!"

"Roan! You made it!"

Raven pushed up her sunglasses and began to look for the owner of the voice, finding him as she looked back over her left shoulder at the house neighboring theirs. The newcomer met up with Clarke a few feet in front of where Raven lay. He was definitely agreeable to look at-she could see the muscle definition in his calves and forearms, he didn't have the pretty boy face the way Finn did, but there was a rugged attractiveness to his features that was increased by the scar cutting through his eyebrow, his beard scruff, and his shoulder length hair that made her instantly think 'pirate king'. She quickly averted her gaze when he turned in her direction, no doubt feeling the intensity of her appraisal, giving her a glimpse of his striking blue eyes.

She'd have loved to indulge in the view more, but the sun had already begun to zap what little energy she had left and she allowed herself to succumb to the siren song of sleep.

"Rae? Hey sweetie, wake up."

Raven felt groggy as she became more aware of her surroundings. The serenity of waves crashing on the beach wasn't helping her as she slowly raised her torso up, knowing there would be pressure marks on her face from her arms. "How long was I out?" she asked, looking up towards Clarke kneeling beside her and reaching for her sunglasses.

"Just long enough for Bell and Lincoln to set up the grill. I didn't want to let you sleep too long and get sunburnt. Would make for a lousy spring break."

"Ha! I rarely burn," Raven said as she huffed her way onto her back "but I appreciate the thought just the same." Raven adjusted herself so that she and Clarke were now sitting side by side, staring out at the ocean.

And with perfect timing too.

"Hot damn."

Raven was mesmerized at the sight of Roan emerging from the surf, to reveal a chiseled physique that her fingers were itching to touch. Strands of hair clung to his face and neck, but it the was simple act of him lifting both arms up to run his hands up face and into his hair that had her jaw dropping at the display of sinewy muscle kissed by the sun, ' _pirate king can plunder my booty'_. "Holy green guacamole."

Clarke turned and smirked at her. "Admiring the view?"

"Shut up and let me enjoy this," Raven remarked, entranced still, yet grateful for both the anonymity of her sunglasses and the sun at her back.

Clarke waved to Roan. "Oh look, here he comes now."

"I can't decide if I love or hate you right now," Raven mumbled under her breath, muscles tensing.

"Love. You love me," Clarke answered quickly, smiling up at Roan as he reached them. "Enjoy your swim?"

Roan smirked at her as he reached down beside Raven to grab a towel, pressing it to his face, "Refreshing."

"I don't think you've ever met Raven, have you?" Clarke placed her arm around Raven's shoulder, "Raven Reyes, meet Roan Brumal my occasional neighbor."

Raven accepted the hand he extended to her, the spark at the contact evident by the glint in his eyes.

She raised one brow in silent flirtation, eyes traveling down his torso, transfixed by a single drop of seawater as it traveled down the length of his abs. "It's a pleasure to meet you. How long will you be staying?"

He chuckled and his thumb caressed her hand before letting go, sending shivers up her arm, "I'm-"

"He's already been here too long." Bellamy interrupted, a smirk on his face as the two men shook hands in greeting. "Clarke, your mother's on the phone something about a pair of earrings?" Clarke stood up and returned to the house, leaving Raven to play referee if things grew out of hand.

"Blake, nice to see your pretty face again,"

"I feel like I'm missing out on such a great history between you two," Raven interjected, refastening her brace to her knee, before pulling her sheer coverup back on over her suit, hoping to break the tension between the two men, "how about you help me up and delight me with the tale?"

Roan reached a hand to assist her to her feet, she took the opportunity staring her in the face and allowed her momentum to manoeuvre her into Roan's arms.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She remarked as she pressed her hands to his chest and felt his hands at her waist to assist her in regaining her balance.

"It's not a problem. May I?" He offered one arm out to her, gesturing with the other towards the patio deck where her friends were already serving and seating themselves.

She caught the look on Bellamy's face, certain that he saw through her ruse with her forced clumsiness, but she really didn't care for his judgement.

Dinner was rather uneventful, basic small talk all around, but she couldn't resist sending a few flirtatious glances from under her lashes in Roan's direction, only to feel answering brushes up against her ankle and calf below the table.

Roan excused himself after everything was cleaned up, reassuring both her and Clarke that he wouldn't remain walled up next door all week, with a parting wink for her before taking his leave.

It didn't take long for everyone to jump in and out of the showers, washing away the sun and the sand, then gathering in the living room to watch whatever movie Jasper brought along before turning into bed for the night.

Sleep was almost always a challenge for her, either due to pain from overuse or general discomfort finding a sleeping position, and tonight was a mix of both. Grabbing a sheet to wrap around herself just in case the summer breeze proved to be too cool for her sleep shirt and shorts, she braced her knee back up and made her way out to the patio deck, a smile creeping to her face at the beauty before her. The sound of the crashing waves was unbelievably peaceful in away that you couldn't appreciate in the daytime, the full moon casting enough light to guide her way down the deck when she saw the fire in the sand next door. She couldn't resist the smile that pulled at her lips at the sight of Roan sitting by fire, making her way over to him.

"Hey stranger," she placed one hand on his broad shoulder to ease herself to sit beside him on the generous sized sleeping bag, "fancy meeting you here."

He reached out and took her hand, interlacing their fingers before pressing a kiss to her knuckles, "I missed you these past few weeks."

She rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling the scent of pine and sandalwood that was so specifically Roan, a scent that clung to the shirt she normally slept in at the dorms. "I think Bellamy is onto us."

"You were laying it on a little thick back there, running your hands all over me in front of him, I thought you were going to throw me down and have your wicked way with me." He bumped his shoulder up gently to emphasise his point.

"Sand all up in my bits isn't worth it, no matter how good the sex is," she responded, turning her head to meet his in a kiss that was equal parts passion and longing.

"So when are you gonna tell Clarke we've been together for eight months now? You know she's trying to set us up with her insistence that I spend the week here," Roan whispered against her lips.

Raven looked pensive, but the grin on her face betrayed her puckish thoughts. "Definitely before the week is over, let her bask in the glory of her matchmaking skills a bit."

"Whatever you wish, my lady." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, enclosing her smaller frame in the circle of his arms, before easing them down to lay side by side, allowing Raven to make herself comfortable.

It wasn't long before she found herself succumbing to sleep beneath the star filled sky aided by the siren song of the waves.

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 **A/N: I'm really proud of this one. It's the most I've been able to write in about 6 months, and I hope y'all like it. My creative juices haven't been flowing the way I'd like and I've been super blocked when it comes to the next chapter of Going Nowhere Fast. I've got a chapter, but not really sure if I like it.**


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